Detachable hose coupling



Patented Nov. 2, 1948 yUm'rrzn sTA'rlzs PATENT y oFr-'l DETACHABLE HOSE COUPLING Irvin: Cowles, Chicago, Ill. Application June 21, 1946, Serial No. 678,466 7 Claims. (Cl. 285-86) This invention relates to improvements in Detachable hose couplings and has for its main and general object to provide a simple, cheap, durable and efilclent structure of this type adapted for use in the production of flexible conduits for all iiuids and all pressure conditions and which may be attached to and detached from the hose without the use oi any tools other than conventional wrenches or a vise and wrench, if a vise is handy.

Further` and more speciiic objects |of the invention are: f

First, to provide a coupling which will accommodate hose of both larger and smaller outer and inner acceptable tolerance diameters, within reasonable limits, than those speciiic tolerances which determine the rejections of hose of all sizes.

It is commonly known that hose cannot be produced with respect to more than average diametric dimensions; that the ducts of hose are rarely absolutely concentric with the outer surface, and that hose which exceeds the limits of specied tolerance diameters .is not rendered less pressure resistant than that which meets tolerance limitations and that a coupling which permits the use'of such rejectable hose, operates to decrease waste and thus operates also to decrease the cost of hose. The high pressure types of the latter are very expensive and in determining production cost, the manufacturer is obliged to iigure on a fairly liberal percentage of rejections of the product in order to avoid loss in place of gaining proiit.

Hose is usually made in fifty foot lengths wherein there may be no two successive feet diametrcally alike or of tolerance dimensions lying within the specified limits. The manufacturer sells only full iifty foot lengths and the customer returns those portions of each length that are rejectable as pointed out above, and, obviously, a coupling that is adapted to meet a greater range of tolerances than specified, is protable to both the manufacturer and con sumer.

Second, a further object is to provide a coupling of given weight and dimensions which is so constructed that it .may be applied with equal facility to low and high pressure hose without change, and which will withstand the maximum pull test directed to determine the force required to withdraw the hose from the coupling, and Will withstand the maximum pressure resistant stress to determine resistance to leakage which usually causes the fluid to force its way into the outer casing of the hose as opposed to the inner tube thereof and thus acts to destroy the hose or render it useless and cause its immediate rejection.

With respect to such pull test, attention is 2 directed to the' fact that it is not dimcult, generally, to produce hose couplings `which will seal a flexible conduit against leakage under the maximum iiuid pressure which test requirements specify, but to also withstand the speciiied pull test presents another problem to be solved and which is solved in the couplings of this invention without eiecting any increase in its overall outer dimensions.

There. are also types of low pressure hose which elongate appreciably under tension and such elongation effects reductionin thickness of the hose wall.

Hose of this type is far more diiilcult to hold in the coupling against withdrawal under. the pull test than any other type but the coupling of this invention will hold the same.

Third, it is necessary to, and a further object ofthe invention is to meet the requirement that the coupling shall not injure the outer surface or jacket oi the hose nor the inner tube thereof otherwise than along a very small portion of the outermost end portion of the hose as by provid'- ing the stem of the coupling with sharp threads or other sharp edges which operate to cut into the said inner tube. I

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating suitable embodiments of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary central radial section ofthree interengaged parts of a coupling constructed in accordance with the invention and showing a hose end portion inserted into the same, all in their initial relative positions. with the stem element omitted.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l of the stem element of the coupling. A g

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, the hose end portion being omitted, showing the stem element of Fig. 2 disposed at 'the inner limit of its movement as determined by the sleeve nut of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Figs. 1 and 3, showing the sleeve nut and stem element disposed at the ultimate inner limits of their movement with respect to the shell of the coupling, the

` hose end portion being omitted.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating a modified form of embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing ari-'- other embodiment of the invention.

' Fig. 7 is a side elevationon a reduced -scale of a thread forming spring embodied in the y structure shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Fig. 8 is an end view of the spring shown in Fig. 7.

In its preferred form, the coupling comprises the shell member i equipped with a central threaded opening which receives the sleeveA nut 2.

The skirt portion 3 of the member I is tapered lslightly from substantially its junction with the y is fl `red to the nut portion l to its mouth portion 4. The latter degree that its mouth is of inner eter suiilcient to receive a hose end of larger diameter than the greatest specified plus-tolerance allowance applicable to hose of the size which the coupling is designed to receive. As such tolerances are expressed in thonsandths of an inch, this mouth diameter ofthe shell is suilicient to receive a hose end portion having diameter equal to the standard specified diameter plus double the plus-tolerance allowance.

Thus, if the said tolerance allowance is fifteen thousandths 'oi' an inch, the mouth of the shell will allow for a tolerance of thirty thousandths of an inch. The inner flared surface of` the said mouth portion meets the curved convergent annular shoulder of the thicker wall portion of the shell 3, which is equipped with a long pitch shallow helical groove which is of depth less than one-half 'and preferably about equal to one# dia ` third the diameter of the wire of which the helical spring '8 engaged in said groove is oom-- posed.

The said spring 6, which 'is normally purely helical, as shown in Fig. 1, is contracted to greatest degree between its ends as shown by the coils 6a thereof. said spring being rendered spiro helical when engaged in said groove of said wall portion 5.

The terminal ends of the spring 6 are beveled, as shown in Fig. 8. the sharp ends thereof being disposed in the bottom of the groove of the shell 3 when said spring 6 is engaged in same.

The pitch of said groove and of the spring 6 engaged therein, is such that the space between the convolutlons of said spring is of greater width than the diameter of the wire of which said spring is composed. The latter thus constitutes the equivalent of a very deep thread which is very dimcult to produce in a thread cutting operation. It also provides only rounded, smooth surfaces which will not cut into or otherwise injure the hose. .The terminals of said spring are beveled so that the sharp ends thereof lie in the bottom of the helical groove while their surfaces form leads into the thread, hereinafter referred to as the thread 6 of the shell, the said spring being frlotionally held rigid with said shell by its contraction.

This thicker grooved wall portion of the shell is ilared along its inner end portion to its meetlng point with the internally cylindrical portion I of said shell next adjacent to thread thereof.

In the instance illustrated, said helical groove is arcuate and of radius equal to that of the wire 4 tive to the shell member i. the stem 8 projects almost to the mouth oi' the portion 4 of the shell 3 and is equipped with a rounded terminalshoulder Il. constituting a terminal of the short cylindrical portion I2 which is of appreciably greater diameter than the next inward cylindrical portion I3 and is bordered by a rounded shoulder I4.

Said cylindrical portion i2 is opposed to substantially' the smallest diameter `portion of the thread 8, the shoulder il being spaced inwardly of said mouth portion l. The cylindrical portion I3 joins the next inward frusto conical stem portion il in a plane perpendicular to the stem axis disposed slightly less than halfway between the shoulder Il and the inner end of said portion I5. The latter terminates in a tapered shoulder I8 ibordering the largest diameter cylindrical shoulder I1 of said stem and which is of the largest diameter possible to pass through the sleeve nut 2. said portion l1 opposed to that portion of the 1 shell 3 lying between the cylindrical portion 1 and the thread 8.

The said portion i1 is bordered by the annular recess il which also borders the thread of the stem member 8.

The annular space between the stem 9 and the surface portion li of the shell 3 is of the greatest width and is substantially arcuate in radial iongitudinal section. The thread 6 projects into the said space to the extent of substantially one-fifth thereof and presents the equivalent of `a helical shoulder, at its inner end, which is opposed to the sleeve nut 2.

The threads of the sleeve nut 8 are right hand. while the thread 6 is left hand. in all instances.

In applying the coupling to the end portion of a, hose Ill, shown in Fig. l, the stem member is absent and the sleeve nut 2 is positioned outwardly of the inner limit of its movement a distance which is determined by the type of hose i0 used. If the latter is of a relatively hard compact type, the nut 2 may be backed out a distance equal to the length of two or three of its outer threads. If such hose is of more'yielding nature, said distance is increased.

The inner end of the nut 2 constitutes a stop for the inner end of the hose i0 as shown in Fig. 1, and while the hose I0 remains in its last-named position, the stem 9 is inserted into the duct or inner tube of the same with ease, a lubricant, such as glycerine being used, until the threads of the stem member meet theinner threads of the sleeve l nut 2. This occurs when the extremity of the stem has attained the position indicated ,by the arrow A in Fig. 3.

Insertion of the stem/to this point effects an appreciable degree of expansion of the hose and of the spring but isnot necessarily of that particular 4size and contour but may be of the same shape as the wire receiving groove of the shell of the coupling shown in the drawings of the Cowles Patent No. 2,121,624.

The sleeve nut 2 is interposed between the shell member l and the body portion 8 Roi? the stem 8 of the coupling. 'The contour of said stem 9, which has a cylindrical bore of diameter substantially equal to that of the hose l0, is designed necessarily to cooperate with inner contour oi'` the shell 3 to vary the width of the'annular space between said stem and shell to produce the results set forth in the foregoing statement oi' the ob'- jects of the invention. l

By. reference to Fig. 4, it will benoted that when the sleeve nut 2 and the stem member 9 are disposed at the inner limits of their movement relaoccasions only a slight degree of ejection force upon the hose, insufficient to overcome the resistance of the threads 6 to such ejection.

During the remainder of the stem insertion operation which is eiected while the stem 'mem- 'ber 8 is rotated until the' latter and said sleeve nut 2 have attained the limits of their movement,

f shown in Fig. 4,'the expansion of the hose I0 76 compaetly. and this compaction force extends in compress the inner tube of the hose to suchide gree against the stem 9 that no leakage or -seepage of fluid can occur around said stem.

-The compaction referred to extends tol the shoulder I ofthe stem to a progressively decreased degree.

Uponcompletion of the assembly, the hose will withstand easily the maximum pulltest applied,

which is always limited to a given number of pounds of pull determined by the nature o1? the hose, as to structure, and fluid pressure resistant requirements of the same. Y

In instances wherein the yhose is oversize as to outer diameter, the initial position of the sleeve nut 2, shown in Figs. 1 and- 3, is farther inward, buit in` instances where the hose is of specied or less thanspecied outer diameter, said sleeve nut is positioned initially farther outwardly than otherwise, thus to assure a sufficient degree `of the compaction aforesaid to meet )the said pull and leakage and seepage requirements.

The hose Iii is not shown in Figs. 3 and 4 because it is believed that this is unnecessary in view of the complete foregoing description of what occurs during the conduit assembly operafects lateral displacement of hose wall material sufficiently to practically fill free space between the stem and the shell in the innermost portion of the latter.

In the structure of Fig. 5, lthe body .portion I9 -ofthe shell member is equipped with a central threaded aperture to receive the threaded body portion 20 of the stem 2|, and presents an annular stop shoulder 22 of about the same area as the inner end of the sleeve nut 2 of Figs. l, 3 and 4. v

The skirt portion 23 of the shell member is substantially similar to the skirt portion 3 of said 6 22.l 'The'stem 2| may then be inserted into 4the end of the hose along onlythe smaller diameter portion of said stem to prevent contractionV of 'this portion of the hose duct before the, hose is further rotated anti-clockwise to effect the crowding of more of it into Ithe innermost portion of the shell.

The thread of the portion 28 of the stem 2I operates lto'resi-st the tendency ofthe hose toback out of the skirt portion during the further stem inserting operation, which is effected easily with the aid of previously applied glycerine, until the threads of the stem member and shell member become interengaged. Further insertion of the stem is effected by rotation of the latter relative to the member I9. Thi-s voccurs sooner than i the structure of Figs. 1 and 3 because of the greater length ofthe thread of the member I9.

lSoft wall hose yields more readily to expansion responsively to internal iluidpressure than hard Wall hose,` and for that reason the threads of the shoulder or portion 21 of the stem are required to effect greater compaction ofwthe inner end portion of the inner tube of the hose, than is re-` quired in the case of hard wall hose, to'prevent leakage or seepage which must follow the thread to occur and overcome the greater resistance afforded along the said last-named thread por tion.

Soft wall hose is usually of shorter life "than the harder type, and, having been used for a given period of time, it is replaced, being seldom used until it bursts. f

The structure illustrated in Fig. 6 diifers'from that shown in Figs.- 3, 4 and 5 only in that the stem 2I is integral with a body member 29 of greater length and diameter than the body member 20 of Fig. 5, to engage in the larger diameter internal thread of the shell 30, theV diameter of Athe shell thread being equal to the greatest inner diameter of said shell. 5

The inner surface of the saidstem member 29 l presents an annular shoulderl which takes the Figs. 1, 3 and 4, except that the left-hand thread formation 24 thereof is integral with the skirt portion 23. The portion of the skirt 23 lying inwardly of the thread formation 241s cylindrical and is equipped with a relativelyshallow lefthand thread formation A25, the latter being of greater root diameter thanthe thread 24.

The wire type thread 6 of Figs. 1, 3, and 4 may be substituted for the thread 24.

Said skirt 23 is also tapered slightly externally to its mouth portion 26 which is identical with the mouth portion 4 of Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

The contour of the stem 2I isvery similar to that of the stem 9 except that its innermost portion 21, corresponding with the portion I1 of the stem of Figs. 2, 3 and 4, is equipped with a continuation of the thread of the body portion 20 beyond the annular recess 28.

In applying this structure to the hose, the latter is first inserted to engage the stop shoulder place of the end wall of the structure of Fig. 5

and of the sleeve nut 2 of Figs. 1, 3 and4, it being obvious that said stem. member of Fig. 6, when removed,` permits a greater length -of hose to be inserted into the shell into overlapping relation to the threads of the latter Ito any desired degree than is true of Fig. 5, as, for example, so that` members become interengafged.

Thereafter the stem" member is rotated until it has attained the inner limit of its movement. `Hose wall material in the innermost chamber of the shell is thus displaced to ll compactly all free space in said chamber, as results also from operation of the sleeve nut 2 -of Figs. 3 and 4, as described hereinabove.

In all instances, the shell member of the coupling is cylindrical internally initia1ly and is subjected to the well-known swaging operation,-

length of said thread excluding the lead portions A of the same. The width oi' the portion or zone occupied of 'annular space occupied by said thread' is substantially uniform.

The depth of the thread is open to some degree of variation to meet the variations in the type of hose used, but sh'ould not be less than approximately one-sixth of the width oi' the annular space between -the stem'and the said thread and. in some cases, it may exceed'onea mouth portion bordering an inner threaded wall portion ofl said shell of inner diameter intermediate of its end portions appreciably smaller than the smallest diameter portion of said mouth portion. said thread' being spirohelical and of greatest diameter at its inner end. said thread being spaced from the inner end of said shell, an axial stem having a frusto-conlcal 4outer surface portion opposed to and cooperating with said threaded wall portion of said shell to provide an annular space of progressively increasing diameter from its outer to its inner end, the greatest diameter portion of said stem being opposed and cooperating with the greatest inner diameter portion of said shell to provide an inner chamber having an outer wall surface of length approximately equal to or greater than a complete turn of said thread. the depth oi' the latter being equal approximately to one-fifth of the annular space between said surface and the said stem and presenting -an arcuate crown throughout substantially its entire length.'

2. A coupling, according to claim 1, wherein the thread formation of the shell is spiro helical along its inner end portion and wherein the stem is equipped with a frusto conical outer surface portion opposed to said thread, and with a substantially cylindrical portion of diameter greater than the largest diameter part of said rst-named portion of said stem at the inner end portion of the latter, there being an. annular recess in the innermost portion of said stem opposed lto the largest inner diameter portion of said shell inl the inner'end of said chamber with the plane of said recess spaced from the plane of the outer end of said cylindrical portion of said stem, the last-named plane defining ythe outer end of said annular chamber.

3. A hose coupling including a shell member equipped with a tapered shell including a contracted mouth portion and equipped internally with a deep, long pitch thread formation extending from said. mouth portion to a point y spaced from its innermost end. said thread 'formation beingofmaximum diametric dimensions along its innermost end portion, an axial stem member presenting a progressively smaller diamveter outer surface portion between its ends opposed'to said thread formation from the greatest to the smallest diameter portion of thelatter and spaced therefrom a distance less than the thickness of the wall of a hose to be received in the resulting annular space, and a sleeve nut inwith both said shell member and said stem member and operable to increase and decrease the length of the said-space.

4. A hose coupling including a shell and a stem concentric with and spaced from each other, said shell equipped internally, between its ends, with a deep long Ipitch thread, the root of the latter being spaced from said stem radially a" distance 4 substantially equal to the outer `dialneterof a hose to be received within said annular space, the outer' diametric dimensions of said stem being greater than thatI of hose-duct, and a member disposed to form the inner end wall of the annular space between said shell and said stem and advjustabie relative to both thereof for increasing and decreasing the length of said annularspace. 5. A structure, as defined in claim 4, wherein the said annular space between'the threaded porvtion of the shell and the portion of said stem opposed thereto is of progressive increased'diametric dimensions from its outer to its inner ends', and wherein the innermost end portion of said thread formation is spaced from said adjustable member at all times a distance no less.

than substantially equal to the radial 'width of said annular space.

6. A structure, according to claim 4, wherein the shell terminates in a mouth portion of inner diameter greater than the smallest diameter p0rtion of said shell for determining the maximum outer diameter of hose to be inserted into said shell, and wherein the thread formation of said shell is of greater root diameter at its outermost end portion than between its ends and is of greatest root diameter atits innermost end, and wherein the stem projects into the said mouth portion and is of smallest outer diameter between said portion of said stem projecting into said mouth portion and that portion of said stem opposed to a progressively` increased root diameter portion of said thread formation, said smallest,diameterportion of.. said stem being opposed to the smallest root portion of said thread formation.

7. Ahose coupling comprising 'a shell member and a stem member movable longitudinally rela-` tive to each other, said shell member equipped with -an internal thread formation between its ends spaced from said stern member to provide an annular space between said members of maximum width radially to equal substantially lthe outer diameter of the hose to be received in said annular space, said members being associated against relative lateral movement, and means included'in said ,association thereof whereby' the length of said annular space may be increased or decreased at will before the stem member attains the inner limit of its movement relative to the shell member.

IRVING COWLES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1852.237 Y Nielsen Apr. 30,1907 1,235,876 Cave Aug. 7, 1917 2,121,624 Cowles June 21, 1938 2,171,945 Norgren Sept. 5, 1939 terposed between and having thread engagement Parker Feb. 12. 1946 

